U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU OF SOILS— BULLETIN No. 27. 

^ n MILTON \A^HITNEY, Chief. 



7G 



EXPERIMENTS m GROWING CURAN SEED 
TORACCO IN TEXAS. 



aEOEGE T. McNESS and WALTEE M. HINSON. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1 ao 5 . 




Class. 
Book 



7 I 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU OF SOILS— BULLETIN No. 27. 



MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. 






EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED 
TOBACCO IN TEXAS. 



GEORGE T. McNESS and WALTER Mo HINSON, 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
19 5. 



0, 



Of 



% 



f^ 



.1' 



> 



LETTER OF TRANSMEITAL. 



IT. S. Department of Agriculture, 

• Bureau of Soils, 
WasJnngtcm^ D. C, Fehrudnj 9, 1905. 
Sir: I have the honor to transmit the manuscript of a report detail- 
ing- the progress of the expe:riments in growing- Cuban seed tobacco in 
Texas, and to recommend that this l)e published as Bulletin No. 27 of 
the Bureau of Soils. 
Respectfully, 

Milton Whitney, 

Chief of BuTtau. 
Hon. James Wilson, 

Secfetary of A(jrieulture. 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Introduction 7 

Climate .• . 9 

Soils? 13 

Experiments during 1902 and 1903 16 

Experiments during 190-1 20 

^Manipulation of seed beds 21 

Preparation of the fields 24 

Setting out the plants 25 

Cultivation and protection against insects 26 

Topping, suckering, and harvesting 27 

Management of the curing barns _ 29 

Stripping and tying 30 

Fermentation 31 

Grading and baling 34 

Cost of production 34 

Results of the sale of the 1903 crop 41 

5 



EXPERIMENTS IN (IRIIWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO IN TEXAS, 



INTRODUCTION. 



The production of u ci<>ar leaf tol)acco, either ?i tiller or wrapper 
t3'pe, in not an untried industry in the Soutli. A very desirable wrap- 
per was produced in Gadsden County, Fla., for many years prior to 
the civil war. This was a handsome, spotted leaf in great favor with 
the trade and known as Old Florida tobacco. Its production, which 
had ceased by the close of the war, was not again attempted until some 
twenty-live j^ears later, but the st^de in wrapper having changed in 
the meantime, the growing of this type of tobacco was al)andoned, 
and in its place Sumatra wrapper was introduced, the production of 
which has proved eminently successful. 

In 1884-85 several farmers of Gadsden Count}^ grew small patches 
of tobacco from seed imported from Cuba. 8ome of this tobacco was 
purchased ])y a large cigar-manufacturing concern of New York. The 
members of this company were so impressed with the good qualities of 
this leaf that they at once sent representatives to investigate the con- 
ditions where it was grown, with the result that the}" purchased and 
equipped plantations in Gadsden County. From this beginning the 
tobacco industry in this part of Florida revived, and it has continued 
to develop, extending into Decatur County, Ga. Sumatra and Cuban 
wrappers and Cuban tiller are the types produced, some being grown 
under shade and some in open fields. 

Following the outbreak of the Spanish-American war refugees from 
Cu])a embarked in the production of tobacco at Fort Meade, Fla. , where 
a leaf of much promise was produced. Some cigar tobacco has also 
been grown in other parts of Florida. 

A few years ago the attention of the Bureau of Soils was called to 
a new tobacco industry in east Texas, where it was reported consid- 
erable progress had been made in growing a domestic tiller leaf from 
Cuban seed. It was found that quite an extensive acreage was being 
planted around Willis, Montgon'iery County, and that several ware- 
houses and cigar factories were in operation there. 

24705— No. L'7— 05 2 7 



8 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 

An examination of the tobacco made by the Bureau expert .showed 
that some of the leaf produced was of excellent quality, surpassing in 
aroma any domestic leaf examined up to that time, but that the crop 
as a whole, for reasons not determined, was not such as to warrant the 
prediction of any phenomenal development of the indiistry along- the 
lines then being followed. 

The matter was again given some study in 1899, when the Bureau 
was engaged in making a collection of domestic tobaccos for exhibition 
at the Paris Exposition. Included in this exhibit were a number of 
samples of the Texas tobaccos, and the marked superiority of some of 
the leaf was noticed, although, owing to the manner in which the col- 
lection had been made, it was impracticable to determine whether this 
quality was the result of the particular soil upon which the leaf had 
been grown, of the kind of seed used, of any special system of fertili- 
zation, or of care and skill in handling and curing. 
. In 1901 the Bureau made a survey of the soils around Willis, at the 
same time investigating the condition of the tobacco industry, and 
especially the relations of the quality of the leaf to the soil producing 
it. The tobacco interests were then found in a languishing condition. 
From a maximum acreage of 1,000 acres planted in 1898 the plantings 
had declined to 5()f> acres in 1899, and then to less than 100 acres in 
1901, and the growers, although needing some crop, like tobacco, in 
which to specialize, had become very much discouraged. In the fol- 
lowing 3'ear the investigation Avas carried further by a tobacco expert, 
w^ho began experiments ingrowing tobacco which were not conclusive. 
The causes assigned b}^ the Bureau's agent for the decline in the pro- 
duction of this crop were mainly two — the lack of knowledge among 
the growers as to the methods of handling the crop and the peculiar 
market conditions alwa3's to be met with in a trade so highl}^ special- 
ized as the tobacco trade. However, an important result of the soil 
survey and experiments around Willis was the discover}^ that the leaf 
grown on the type given the name Orangeburg fine sandy loam (a 
rcnidisli or grayisli sandy loam with a red clay su])soil) possessed a 
nuich finer aroma than the leaf grown on any other soil in the area. 

Other surveys made during 1902, 1903, and 1904 have established 
the fact that the Orangel)urg fine sandy loam is a soil of wide distri- 
bution in east Texas, as well as in the other Gulf and South Atlantic 
States. It is associated with other Orangeburg soils, of which the 
Orangeburg cla}^ is also l)elieved to be a good tobacco soil. In Ander- 
son County alone 102,800 acres of the Orangeburg fine sandy loam 
and 35,904 acres of the Orangeburg cla}^ were mapped. In Nacogdoches 
County, in an area of 100 s(|uare miles mapped around the town of 
Nacogdoches, 1(),320 acres consisted of the Orangeburg tine sand}' loam 
and 16,704 acres of the Orangeburg clay. In Houston County large 



CLIMATE. 9 

bodies of this sandy loam are foimd. In Alabama the Perry County 
survey showed 82,000 acres of Orangeburg- sandy loam, also a desira- 
ble type for tobacco, while surveys in South Carolina, Georgia, Flor- 
ida, Mississippi, and Louisiana have included areas of one or more of 
these types. 

There is thus an ample area of soil suitable for the growing of 
cigar-leaf tobacco in Texas and other Southern States, and in Texas 
particularly, and the thought occurred that whatever deficiencies in 
the leaf formerly produced were due to an indiscriminating use of 
soils might at once be eliminated in the light of knowledge of soil 
adaptation gained during the Willis and subsequent survej^s. Fol- 
lowing out this idea, the Bureau in 1903 and 190-1: conducted a series 
of tobacco experiments on the Orangeburg soils around Nacogdoches, 
Lufkin, VVoodville, Crockett, and Giddings, Tex., and the succeeding 
pages embody a report of the conditions surrounding and the results 
achieved in these experiments. 

The Bureau has every reason to feel encouraged over the results of 
these experiments. A cigar hller-leaf tobacco of superior quality has 
been produced, a leaf pronounced by the trade the finest tiller so far 
grown in this countr}-, while the prices received for the crop and a 
conservative estimate of the cost of production show that there is 
ever}^ opportunity for the commercial development of a new industry 
in a part of our country needing above all else a greater varietj'^ of 
staple products. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate of east Texas is well suited to the growing of tobacco. 
The winters are mild, and although "northers" (cold windstorms) 
sweep in from the north, freezing temperatures are comparatively 
rare, and periods of cold weather of short duration. The snowfall is 
light, and snow remains on the ground only a short time. The 
growing season is long, but the heat of summer is not so great as in 
some more northern interior points, and the temperature seldom rises 
above 100*^ F. 

The Weather Bureau has established normals of temperature and 
precipitation — that is, has complete records, covering live 3^ears or 
more, for three stations in the immediate vicinity or within relativel}^ 
short distances of the experimental helds, viz, at Nacogdoches, Pales- 
tine, and Huntsville, and has also records at Trinity covering three 



10 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEKD TOBACCO. 



year.s, from ^\'l^R•ll means have ))eon computed. The following table is 
compiled from the records of these stations: 

Xormal inoiilliii/ (ind animal teinjn'raiare atal jyrccipilatioii for Wiailnr lliircaii stidions in 

east Texas. 





Nacogdoches. 


Palestine. 


Huntsville. 


Trinity .a 


Mouth. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


January 

February 

March 

April . 


48.2 
52. 2 
."i7. 5 
(17.7 
74.4 
80.7 
82. 2 
82.6 
- 76.8 
67.8 
59.1 
48.0 


In. 
2.74 
3.82 
4.45 
4.61 
5. 42 
7.43 
3.98 
2.34 
4.80 
3.95 
5.60 
4.24 


°F. 
49. 8 
51.0 
57.6 
66.7 
71.3 
78.2 
81.5 
80.4 
75.7 
66.5 
56.2 
51.4 


In. ■ 
4. 31 
3.51 
3.98 
4.62 
5.84 
4.25 
2.59 
2.68 
3.25 
3.22 
4.45 
3.81 


°F. 
50.1 
51.8 
59.6 

• 67.9 
74.9 
80.9 
83.4 
82.8 
77.4 
69.0 


In. 
4.78 
3.17 
3. 55 
4.10 
3.90 
5.14 
3.25 
3.46 
3.23 
3.10 
4.23 
3.58 


°F. 
51.4 
50.5 
60.8 
67.3 
74.3 
80.0 
82.3 
84.2 
76.5 
67.9 
60.4 
50.9 


In. 
2.73 
5.24 
4.94 
2. 29 


May 


4.29 


June 


3.72 


July 


4.33 


August 


2.25 


September 

October 


3.54 
4.73 


November 


2.22 


December 




2.53 









Year 


66.4 


53.38 


65.5 


46. 51 




45. 49 


67.2 


42. 81 









a Mean for three years. 

While the data given in the foregoing table are not as complete as. 
might l)e wished, they are believed to be fairly representative of the 
conditions as regards the temperature and rainfall of the region within 
which the present experiments were carried on. A table giving the 
actual rainfall in the different fields will be given later, but before 
leaving the question of general climatic features it will be interesting 
to compai'e the figures given above for the months of the growing sea- 
son with similar data for Havana, Cul)a, to see if there are here any 
broad differences that might indicate the impracticability of approxi- 
mating a Cuban type of leaf. 

Comparalire table of temperature and j/recipitation for dx inontliK of cjroiving season, east 

Texas and Cuba. 





Palestine. 


Nacogdoches. 


Month. 


Hav 


ana. 


Month. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Temper- 
ature. 


Precipi- 

L&i;io:i. 


April 


°F. 
66.7 
71.3 

78.2 
81.5 
80.4 

75.7 


In. 
4. 62 
5. 84 
4.25 
2.59 
2.68 
3.25 


°F. 

67.7 
74.4 

80.7 
82.2 
82. (i 
7.1.8 


In. 
4.61 
5.42 
7.43 
3.98 
2.34 
4.80 




°F. 
78.1 
7.5.3 
71.4 
70.3 
72.0 
73.2 


In. 
8 49 


Mav 




4 24 


June 




1 93 


July 




2 32 


August 




o 52 


September 




■' 50 




Si.; mouths ... 




Six months.. 


75.6 


23. 23 


77. 2 


28. 58 


73.4 


22.00 



CLIMATE. 



11 



In respect of the averages for the six months, there is seen to ])e a 
close correspondence between the figures for Palestine and Nacogdoches 
and those for Havana. Examined month b}" month, however, there 
are ditferences which miglit have considerable ett'ect in dilferentiating 
the character of the leaf. At Havana the temperature is equable, the 
extremes being only S"^ F. apart, while in Texas there is .a range of 
lo*^ F. ; at Havana the rainfall is very much heavier during the first 
two months of the period and very much less in the third month, 
the remainder of the period more nearly approximating the Texas 
conditions. 

The following ta])l<> shows the mean monthly I'elative humidity for 
the growing season, as recorded at Havana and at Palestine: 

3/i"r/» inoiilJili/ relative Jnimidih/. 



Palestine. 


Havana. 


Month. 


Humidity. 


Month. 


Humidity. 




73 

78 
76 
77 
7.-1 
74 


October 


78 


Mav 


November 

December 


77 


■ 


73 


July 




76 




February 


73 




March 


71 









These figures show a marked agreement, and indicate that the mean 
range of humidity is about the same in both regions. During the twenty- 
four hours at Havana, however, the relative humidity is higher for a 
longer period than at Palestine, the maximum reading being usually 
reached at 6 o'clock in the morning and the minimum at noon, while at 
Palestine the maximum is usually reached at 8 o'clock a. m. and the 
minimum at 8 ox-lock p. m. In other words, the late afternoon and 
presumably a considerable part of the night are much damper at 
Havana than at Palestine. This fact would compensate to some extent 
the somewhat less precipitation at the former station than at Palestine 
during the latter part of the growing season. 

We may safeh' conclude from the foregoing tables that whatever 
varia])ility in the type of tobacco may take place there is no condition, 
either of temperature or moisture, inimical to the growing of tobacco, 
while sufiicient similarity would seem to exist between the conditions 
in Cuba and in east Texas to warrant the assumption that, so far as 
climate is concerned, an approximation in type might be expected. 
And yet plants are so prone to vary with their environment, and so 
little is absolutely known of the relation of variations to climatic con- 
ditions, that any definite deductions from the necessarily superficial 
consideration of the question here given must be more or less specula- 
tive. It would prol)ably be safer to conclude a similarity of climate 



12 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



and other conditions from the simihir character of the tobacco pro- 
duced than to foretell a likeness in the leaf from the data at hand, and 
tlie%ures are chiefl}^ interesting as attesting a fact already determined 
empirically. 

Turning now to local conditions during 11)04, the early part of the 
season was unfavorable to the best development of the plants, espe- 
cially at the north tiold, Nacogdoches County. High winds and cool, 
dry weather retarded the growth of the plants in the seed beds, while 
cool nights during the earlj^ part of May were unfavorable to their 
growth in the fields. Later in the season, and especially during the 
ripening period, heav}' and prolonged rains caused the lower leaves of 
the plants to tire and hindered the maturing of the crops. For these 
reasons the yields from the different fields were considerably lower 
than the}^ would be under a normall}^ favorable season. 

The appended table gives the actual precipitation from day to day 
duri'ng the growing reason for each of the fields where experiments 
were in progress during 1904: 



Precipitation during growing season, 1904- 
NORTH FIELD, NACOGDOCHES COtlNTY. 



Date. 


Inches. 


Date. 


Inches. 




0.10 

.07 

1.00 

2.00 

.07 

1.18 

1.45 

.03 

.07 

.49 

.37 


June 21 


1.29 
.26 

1.20 
.28 
.50 
.CO 
.00 
.18 
.67 
.63 
.62 


It) 


22 

28 


•>2 


24 


, 29 


29 


.Tiilv 3 


May 4 


4 


6 




29 


18 




19 


8 


2'' 


10 


23 







EAST FIELD, NACOGDOCHES COUNTY. 





1) 




24 


May 


3 




(') 




6 




8 




'1 





05 < 




10 1 




55 




27 ' 




72 , 




S8 




40 


1 


05 



June 22. 
24. 



July 



1.10 
.50 
.62 
.50 

2.10 
.52 
.26 

1.43 



SOILS. 

Precipitation dtiring graving neafion, 1904 — Continued. 
GinDiN(;s fip:ld, lek county. 



13 



Date. 


Inches. 




Date. 


Inches. 


Apr. 1 

3 


2.65 
.18 


Apr. 
May 

June 


30 

4 


0.20 
1.30 
1.07 
..52 
.30 
4.45 
1.00 


.T .08 




17 


22 . . - 1-95 


23 

24 

29 


.00 

17 

1.43 


o~ 


30 

6 


i 



CROCKETT FIELD, HOUSTON COUNTY. 



Apr. 1 


1.07 

.30 

.80 

.10 

1.75 

.00 

.35 

.20 

.10 

2.75 

l.GO 

2.00 

.38 

.55 


June 21 

'>0 


0.18 
.80 
.00 
.20 
.70 
.05 
.25 
.20 
.17 
. 85 
.15 
.20 
.48 
.92 




_ 




July 3 

4 


21 

21 

25 

30 


' 6 

14 

17 


Mav 1 


3 


18 




19 


•'8 


23 


29 


27 




28 




1 



SOILS. 

As already mentioned, among- the many soils of the Southern States 
those of the Orangeburg series have been found best adapted to the 
production of the Cuban seed tobacco. The two soils of this series 
used in the experiments in eastern Texas are the Orangeburg fine 
sandy loam and the Orangelnirg- clay. The surface soil of the former 
is a compact red sandy loam, containing considerable silt and ranging 
in depth from 10 to 20 inches, with an average depth of about 12 
inches. The soil contains from 10 to 20 per cent of rounded iron con- 
cretions about one-fourth of an inch in diameter. The subsoil is a 
heavy sandy clay reaching to a depth of 3 feet or more. It contains a 
small quantity of quartz sand and a few quartz gravel, ranges from 
ocherous 3^ellow to a deep red in color, and contains iron concretions 
similar to those found in the soil, although not in such large quanti- 
ties. The subsoil usuall}^ has a peculiar dry, crumbly texture. 

The Orangeburg- fine sandy loam lies on the nearly flat tops of hills 
or ridges, and never extends far down their slopes. The drainage is 
always excellent. This i.s the result of free surface drainage, resulting 
from topographic position and a relatively free percolation of w^ater 



14 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



downward through the soil and sul)8oil, which is assisted l)y the 
presence of the iron concretions. 

The soil in the Texas areas is believed to be derived from the 
thoroug-h weatherino- of Tertiary clays, and in some localities, usually 
adjacent to areas of Orangeburg clay, the clays are underlain at a 
depth of S to 20 feet by a low grade of glauconitic material, indicating 
that the ultimate origin of the type may have l)een greensand of 
Eocene age. The iron concretions found in the soil, it is thought, 
have l)een gradually built l)y oxidation and leaching of iron in the soil, 
wliich acls as a cement between the grains of sand. Occasionally, 
though rarely, the concretions have the irregular form of iron crust, 
and such fragments sometimes weigh several pounds. The presence 
of these concretions is one indication of the adaptation of the soil to 
the production of a cigar leaf of fine quality. 

The Oi-angebnrg tine sandy loam, in addition to its special adapta- 
tion as a tobacco soil, is well adapted to general farming. It combines 
marked fertility with a tine friable texture, and is easily kept in good 
tilth. 

The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of 
samples of the soil and subsoil of this type taken from the locality of 
the experimental field in the Nacogdoches area: 

Mechanical anali/scn of Oramjehnrg fine sandy loam. 














in 


o 


,_, 


c 




rH 












o 




o 




a 


1 










a 


o 


d 


o 


o 


a 


o 








■V 


a 


T-H 


-c a 




"sa 




o 


No. 


Locality. 


Dosoription. 


a 

o 

'S 


o 


-63 

|a 


ad 


°a 

c 


Go 


o 
ic 


>oa 

c 








cS 


> 


;» 




<u 


>i 












o 




1 


a 
5 


0) 

> 


o3 


5 








P.cf. 


P.rt. 


p. ct. 


p.rt. 


P.ct. 


p. ct. 


p. ct. 


p.ct. 


83M7 


2^ miles N. of Nii- 
cogdoches. 


Brown medium 
sandy loam, to 
15 inches. 


0. 5s 


0. 50 


1.34 


4. 52 


30.84 


30.16 


26.46 


6.04 


83-18 


Suljsoilof S847 


Red sandy clay, 15 
to 36 inches. 


.29 


1.20 


1.40 


2.74 


18.86 


18.10 


23. 10 


34.54 



The character and relative proportions of the principal plant-food 
constituents in this soil are shown in the following table, giving the 
results of a chemical analysis by the water extract method. The fig- 
ures show the soil to be well supplied with all the essential elements 
with the exception of nitrates. The fact that no nitrates were found 
is without significance, as this element is capal)le of great and rapid 
variation from day to day, and another sample taken from the same 
boring at another time, only a short interval intervening, might show 
many parts per million of this element. 

This soil was used in the 11H»;> experiment at Lufkin and Woodville, 



SOILS. 



15 



and at Nacogdoches and Crockett in 1'.>0-Ib. In all ca.se.s it was fairly 
typical, and contained more or less iron concretions, representing 
from about 1<> to 2(> per cent of the soil mass. The surface of these 
fields was slightly rolling and the drainage was excellent: 



Sulubbi s<dts in the mil and auhsoil of the (Jnnujchurn Jiii< 

per iiiillivn of dry ttoil. 



itiidii loain, exjin'ffiied m vartu 



Constituent. 



Calcium (Ca) 

JMagnesium (Mg) — 

Potassium (K) 

Sulphuric acid (SO4) 
Chlorine (CI) 



Soil. 


Subsoil. 


5 


5 


10 


15 


I'J 


(54 


o'i 


102 


37 


43 



Constituent. 



Bicarbonic acid (HCO3) 

Nitrates (NOn) 

Phosphoric acid (.P04) .. 
Silica (SiOo) . 



The Orangeburg clay differs from the Orangeburg fine sandy loam 
mainly in haying a very much shallower covering of lighter soil over 
the red clay subsoil, the latter often lying within reach of the plow, 
even with the shallow plowing practiced in this part of the country. 
A typical description gives the following profile: Soil, from 5 to 
inches deep, a dark-red color, and ranging in texture from a heavy 
sandy loam to a cla}' loam; subsoil, a stiff, dark-red cla}', generally 
reaching to considerable depths, though occasionally underlain by 
greensand marl at 3 feet. On the surface and mixed with the soil 
and subsoil are found varying proportions of iron concretions and 
fragments of weathered greensand marl. A few limestone fragments 
are also found in tlie sul)soil. 

The surface characteristics of the soil vary consideral)ly. The large 
areas form high, evenly rolling land, while the smaller areas, which 
occur as narrow strips, are usually more rolling, and in places even 
hilly and broken. The surface drainage is for the most part excel- 
lent, except for a few slight depressions found in the gently rolling 
areas, where artificial drainage would be very beneficial. 

The Orangeburg clay, like the fine sandy loam, is a residual soil 
derived through the weathering of greensand marl of Eocene age. 
The marl is localh^ called "shell rock," and outcrops in many places 
in all the typical areas of this soil in Texas, and in cuts a gradation 
from the unweathered underlying formation to the most thoroughly 
weathered surface soil may be readily traced. In some places an 
almost complete weathering has taken place to a depth of several feet. 
The greensand is rich in lime, phosphoric acid, and potassium, and has 
some value for use locally as a fertilizer. 

The soil is rather inclined to be droughty, and deep plowing, and 
even subsoiling, is recommended to help in the conservation of mois- 
ture. The power to retain moisture would also be increased by plow- 
ing under green manuring crops, and this practice would aid in the 

:.'-i705— No. 27—05 3 



16 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUT5AN SEED TOBACCO. 



formation of nitrate.s, which, at lea.st at the particular time the analy- 
ses given below were made, were in the soil in a much smaller quan- 
tit}"^ than any of the other plant food constituents. 

The following table gives the results of mechanical anal3'ses of 
samples of the soil and subsoil of the Orangeburg clay, taken in the 
neighborhood of the experimental field at Nacogdoches: 

Mcclianical unuli/.'tes of Oruiujehury clay. 



No. 


Locality. 


Description. 


u 

0) 

g 
o 

1 

O 


a 

a 

o 

M 

1 

i ^ 


d 

o 

-ga 
ia 

i~t ■ 

as 
O 


o 
d 

(N 

ao 

'■3 

4) 


d 

c 

°a 

C 


o 

d 

la 


a 
a 

d 

o 

i 

d 


d 

o 

d 

6 


8341 
8342 


Similes E., 21 miles 
N.of Nacogdoches. 

Subsoil of 8341 


Heavy red sandy 
loam, to 7 inches. 

Friable red clav, 7 
to 36 inches. 


P. ct. 
2.33 

1.29 


P. ct. 
6.10 

• .t2 

i 


P.ct. 
4.54 

1.66 


P. Ct. 

3.90 

1.88 


p.ct. 
18. 32 

11. 24 


P. (7. 
29.72 

2.">. 70 


P.ct. 
18.90 

25.30 


p. rf. 

18.28 
33. 28 



Chemical analyses of the soil and subsoil by examining the water 
extracts with colorimetric methods give the following results: 

Soluble salts in tJw soil and subsoil of tlie Orangebnnj daij, e.f pressed iu parts per uiiUiun 

of dry soil. 



Constituent. 


Soil. 


Subsoil. 


Constituent. 


Soil. 


Subsoil. 


Calcium (Ca) 


12 

5 

110 

105 

46 


14 
11 
30 
64 
37 


Bicarbonic acid ( HC0^| ) 


63 


38 




Nitrates (NO3) 


.-, 






Phosphoric acid (r'04) 

Silica (SiOo) 


11 
41 


21 




36 


Chlorine (CI) 








■ 





Both the soils described contain enough potash salts to make them 
desirable for tobacco, and the chemical analysis of both compares 
favorably with those of the tobacco soils of Cuba, especially with the 
red soils in the Partidos district. 

KXrKHIMENTS DURING 1902 AND 1908. 

Following up the investigation of the soils around Willis and a 
study of their relation to the tobacco grown in that vicinity, some of 
which, as alread}' pointed out, possessed desirable qualities, the Bureau 
arranged to place a party of its experts in that locality to determine 
the possibilities of raising a larger percentage of leaf approaching the 
flavor and aroma of Cuban tobacco. The Bureau's experts commenced 
this work earl\^ in the spring of 19<):^. Arrangements were made with 
Mr. A. ]\I. Carson, a prominent tobacco grower of Willis, whcroliv 
land, implements, and curing sheds were obtained. 



EXPERIMENTS DURING 1902 AND 1903. 17 

A 10-acre field, on a soil known as the Norfolk sand, was set with 
plants grown from imported Cuban seed. The transplanting- from the 
seed bed to the field took place during the latter part of April, and up 
to the middle of May the plants made a satisfactory^ growth. On 
May 19 a severe storm swept over this section, doing considerable 
damage to all the standing crops. The injur}' done to the tobacco was 
so great that nearly the whole field had to be reset, and those plants 
of the original setting remaining received such a setback that they 
never fully recovered. The result was that the stand of plants over 
the entire 10 acres was very uneven. 

In the early part of June the tobacco was topped, and about this 
time a weevil attacked the plants, causing quite a large number to die. 

About June 11 the tol)acco was harvested and hung in the barn to 
be air-cured. While this work was being conducted the Bureau was 
collecting in a central warehouse quite a number of crops of tobacco 
grown by farmers during the preceding years, some of this tobacco 
being four years old. The object of this work was to rehandle and 
bulk ferment these old tobaccos, so that the}- could be thoroughl}- exam- 
ined by the Bureau and the history of any tobacco possessing merit 
could be traced, not only as to the section where it was grown but as 
to the particular kind of soil which produced it. The experimental 
crop grown b}'^ the Bureau was also fermented in this warehouse along 
with the other crops. 

After the fermenting of this tobacco it was very closely examined, 
leaf by leaf, to determine whether it possessed any desirable qualities. 
The crop grown b}? the Bureau possessed no merit, being too thin and 
papery, and it was evident that the soil used (Norfolk sand) was not 
adapted to the growth of cigar fillers of the Cuban type. On examin- . 
ing the other crops, some leaves selected from a crop of tobacco grown 
b}' Messrs. Roberts & Reed on a red soil at Woodville, Taylor County, 
possessed a very high aroma and a general character resembling to a 
marked degree the leaf grown on the island of Cuba. With this small 
clue the Bureau outlined its future course of work in Texas. A soil- 
survey party was sent to cast Texas, and located bodies of this red 
soil in Ta3^1or and Nacogdoches counties, the larger areas of this par- 
tirular type being found in Nacogdoches County. 

In the spring of 1908 the tobacco party of the Bureau moved its 
headquarters from Willis to Nacogdoches, establishing branch stations 
at Lufkin, Angelina County, and Woodville, Taylor County. Coop- 
erative experiments were entered into between the Bureau and the 
Nacogdoches Tobacco Association, of Nacogdoches; Mr. T. J. Davis, of 
Lufkin, and Messrs. Roberts & Reed, of Woodville, whereby 6 acres 
of tobacco were planted at Nacogdoches (4 acres on the Orangeburg 
sand and 2 acres on the Orangeburg cla}^) and 8 acres were planted at 



18 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOKACCO, 

Lnfkin (2f acres on the Orano-eburg- sand and one-fourth acre on the 
Oranj^eburo- fine sandy loam). At Woodville the Bureau phmtcd 3^ 
acres (i^i acres on tlie Orangeburg" line sandy loam and 1 acre on the 
Willis sand). These soils, with the exception of the Willis sand, repre- 
sent the light, medium, and heavy types of the Orange])urg series, of 
which soils the Bureau now l)elie\ es the Orangel)urg tine sandy loam 
to be best adapted to the production of cigar tobacco. 

Tlie following terms of agreement, covering the experiments of this 
year (1903), were entered into between the Bureau and the individuals 
and firms just enumerated: 

(1) The necessary land shall be donated free of charge by the owner. 

(2) The owner of the land shall provide and pay for fertilizers in such (inantity 
and kind as may be needed. 

(3) The owner shall break up the field and leave it in condition to be planted. 

(4) The owner shall furnish a team and implements at such times as may be nec- 
essary for the cultivation of the crop. 

(5) The owner shall deliver the cured tobacco to such warehouse as may be indi- 
cated by the Dei)artment of Agriculture. 

(6) The owner shall pay for fermenting, sorting, grading, baling (and for baling 
material) the tobacco. 

(7) The Dei^artment of Agriculture shall have entire control of the 2)r(Hlucti()n 
and handling of the tobacco, and shall in no way be hampered or interfered witli by 
the views or wishes of the owner of the land. 

(8) The Department shall control absolutely all lal)or in the cultivation of the 
crop, and shall provide and pay for all additional lielp needed in the cultivation, 
except such as is especiallj' provided for above. 

(9) The Department shall suiiervise and direct the l)arn curing, fermentation, and 
grading, and shall have the right to offer the tobacco for sale and to sell the tobacco, 
subject to the minimum price which may be placed upon it by the owner. If the 
product is sold by the Department, the entire proceeds of the sale shall Ije turned 
over to the owner of the land, who thereby agrees to accept such sale and deliver 
the goods, subject to the ordinary laws of trade. If no sale is made by the Depart- 
ment, for any reason whatever, the owner of the land shall take the tobacco and 
arrange for its sale on his own account. 

. (10) The Department shall not be held financially responsible in any way for the 
crop, nor does it guarantee any value for the crop when ]iroduccd. 

The tobacco grown at Nacogdoches, Lufkin, and Woodville under 
these agreements was planted during the latter part of April and the 
first ten days of May. At Nacogdoches the plants were set with a 
machine, while at Lufkin and Woodville they were set ])y hand. The 
advantage of machine setting was very marked, and an excellent stand 
of plants was obtained at Nacogdoches, while at the other places only a 
fair setting of plants lived, necessitating some resetting, and causing 
an uneven growth over the fields. 

On the lighter soils about 15 loads of well-rotted manure were 
applied broadcast to the acre, and on the heavier soils 20 loads were 
used. In the case of each field the manure was plowed under and 



EXPERIMENTS DURING 1902 AND 1903. 19 

allowed to deca^^ some time before the toluicco was phmted. During 
the tirst few weeks of the growing' season the weather was very 
unfavorable, there being successions of dry, windv days. This 
retarded to a marked degree the growth of the to])acco, especially on 
the lighter soils. 

At Nacogdoches the plants were set 14: inches apart and at Lufkin 
and Woodville 12 inches apart in the rows, which in all three of the 
fields were placed at an interval of 3 feet. Thorough and shallow 
cultivation was practiced. During the month of June the tobacco 
was topped, and har\esting commenced at Woodville on June 15, and 
at Nacogdoches and Lufkin during the tirst week in July. The 
tobacco was cut and speared upon laths, each lath holding from 7 to 9 
plants, according to size. It was then hung in a building to be cured. 

Owing to the lack of suitable buildings for curing, the work was 
done at a great disadvantage. At only one place (Woodville) could 
a regular cigar-leaf to])acco barn be found, while at Nacogdoches the 
tobacco was hung in one of the long, low cotton sheds common to the 
South, having a metal roof and very poor means of ventilation. At 
Lufkin the acconmiodations for curing were even worse than at 
Nacogdoches, the tobacco being hung in several small log caluns. In 
these buildings it was impossible to control either the moisture or the 
temperature, and as a result the tobacco was considerably damaged l)y 
pole sweat at Lufkin and too rapid curing at Nacogdoches. Only at 
Woodville were satisfactory curing results obtained. 

The crops ol)tained from the diti'erent fields showed a verj^ wide 
range in yield, owing, it is believed, to differences in the local weather 
conditions, in type of soil, and in the amount of fertilizer used. On 
the Willis sand only lOO pounds of tol^acco to the acre was obtained. 
On the stronger and heavier Orangeburg soils as nmch as 760 pounds 
to the acre was secured, while the average yield for both the Orange- 
burg fine sandy loam and the Orangeburg clay was 51*> pounds to the 
acre. The tobacco grown at Lufkin and Woodville, after lieing 
stripped, was packed in cases and shipped to Nacogdoches, where the 
Bureau had established a warehouse for the purpose of bulk-fer- 
menting the leaf. These tobaccos were placed in bulk along with the 
crop of tol)acco grown at Nacogdoches. 

After the tobacco had ]>een thoroughly fermented it was carefully 
examined, leaf by leaf, to determine its physical character, and the 
leaves from different parts of the plant were smoked to judge of its 
taste and aroma. In this w^ay the product of the different fields was 
carefully compared, every available means being used to decide what 
leaf most closely approximated, in weight, texture, taste, and aroma, 
the leaf imported into the United States from Culm, and thus to 
determine what soil, what method of cultivation, and what fei-tilization 
gave the most satisfactory results. 



20 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



This close examination of the tobacco was conducted earl}' in Janu- 
ary, 1904, under the immediate personal supervision of the Chief of 
the Bureau, assisted l)y the writer and his aids. Upon a basis of the 
tests, using 20 pounds from each crop, the tobacco was classified into 
four grades, the proportion of each grade being- shown in the table 
following-. It will be noticed that a ver}' large proportion of the crop 
is classified as of g-ood aroma but insufficiently aged. This is to be 
expected under the conditions, as it is well known to handlers of cigar 
tobacco that the leaf should remain in bale at least a year after fer- 
mentation, in order thoroughly to ripen. 

Aroinit of lohiicco (/rotrn in J 903. 





Good aroma. 


Medium 
aroma, 
filler. 


Poor 


Crop. 


Filler withlFiller with 

sufficient insufficient 

age. age. 


second 
quality 
tiller. 




Per cent. 
10 
11 
11 


Per cent. 
84 
80 
72 


Per cent. 
6 
9 
10 


Per cent. 



Lufkin 





Woodville 


7 







This tobacco has since been packed and baled, and the Bureau, to 
ascertain the commercial value of the leaf and the opinion of the trade, 
has placed the product in the hands of a prominent broker for sale. 
Under the terms of the agreement the proceeds will go to the parties 
who cooperated with the Bureau in this work. 

The following table shows the yield of different grades of tobacco 
on the several experimental fields: 

Character of tobacco from the several crperimental fields, 1903. 



Grade. 


Berger field. 


Radclifl field. 


Lufkin field. 


Woodville field. 




Potmds. 
475 
219 

287 
250 


Per cent. 
38. G 
17.8 
23.3 
20.3 


Pounds. 

706 

513 

•207 

70 


Per cent. 

49.2 

33.0 

13.3 

4.5 


Pounds. 
365 

27 
107 
22 


Per cent. 
69.5 

5.3 
20.9 

4.3 


Potinds. 

979 

32 

66 

47 


Per cent. 
87.1 


Flimsy filler 

Broken filler 

Trash 


2.8 

5.9 

■ 4.2 






Total 


1,-231 




1,5.56 




511 




1,124 















EXPERIMENTS DURING 1904. 

At the beginning of 1904 the Bureau had ascertained, through the 
two years' experiments already detailed, the types of soil upon which 
a tobacco nearl}^ approaching the Cuban leaf in all its qualities, and 
surpassing any filler now being grown in the United States, could be 
successfully produced; but it seemed advisable to continue the experi- 
ments during- the season of 1904 on these soils — namely, the Orange- 
burg clav and the Orangeburg fine sandy loam — to study further their 



EXPERIMENTS DURING 1904. 21 

adaptation to filler tobacco, and to see if b}' different methods of fertili- 
zation and cultivation, and hy eliminating such mistakes as the past 
year's work had shown, a still better leaf could be grown. 

Mr. Walter M. Hinson, an expert of the Bureau, was placed in charge 
of this work, and he was aided by a corps of trained assistants. It 
was thought best to make this an independent experiment, so tliat the 
tobacco produced could be disposed of b}' the Bureau in such a way as 
to insure its being widely tested by the trade. 

Headquarters were established at Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches Comity, 
Tex., where the Bureau had the previous year established a warehouse. 
Substations were also established at Crockett, Houston County, and at 
Giddings, Lee County. Kach of these stations was placed in charge 
of an assistant expert, whose duties were to supervise and assist in 
the work of growing an experiment crop. 

At Nacogdoches the Bureau leased for one year -if acres of land Avith 
the necessar}' curing liarns. One and three-fourths acres of tiiis land 
was situated a))out 2 miles north of Nacogdoches, and l)elonged to the 
type known as the Orangeburg tine sandy loam. This plot of land had 
the previous year been planted in corn. The remaining 3 acres — 
situated 3 miles east of Nacogdoches — were composed of 1^ acres of 
the Orangeburg line sandy loam and 1^ acres of the Orangelnirg clay. 
The Orangeburg line sandy loam had previously been planted in cotton, 
while the Orangeburg clay had been used as a cornfield. 

At Crockett the Bureau selected seven-eighths of an acre of the 
Orangeburg clay and 2;^ acres of tlie Orangeburg fine sandy loam, 
while at Giddings 1^ acres were planted on the Orangeburg fine sandy 
loam and 1^ acres on a soil similar to the Norfolk sandy loam. No soil 
survey had been made around Giddings. The land selected was appar- 
ently of the Orangeburg tj'pe, or, as in the case of the last mentioned, 
was closely related to that series. 

MANHTLATION OF THE SEKI) BEDS. 

Before the location of the substations was determined upon, a gen- 
eral seed bed had been selected nt Nacogdoches, and the work of clear- 
ing ort' the timber and cutting the wood into suitable lengths to l)e 
used in l)urning the bed had been l)egun. 

This bed was situated one-half mile east of Nacogdoches, near a 
small stream of water, and was surrounded by a heavy growth of 
timl)er, which helped to cut off the cold north winds which are frequent 
•in this country during the early spring. In other respects the location 
of this seed bed was favorable. It had a southern slope, which allowed 
the sun to shine upon it the greater part of the day, and the soil — the 
Orangeburg- loam — contained plenty of humus, and was otherwise well 
adapted for growing plants. 



22 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 

There was (juit(> a heavy hiyer of leaves and tine trash upon the sur- 
face of the hind, whieh was cleared otl' before burnini;' to allow the tire 
free access to the soil. After this trasli had been removed and the 
wood for the tires had been well seasoned, preparations were made 
for the first Imrninu- of the soil, which was done in the latter part of 
Januar}'. Skids made of green pine poles were used to draw the tire 
on. These skids were placed upon the ground 3 feet apart, and the 
tire was l)uilt upon them. A strip of 300 s([uare yards was first burned. 
The tire was then l)uilt on the upper side of the bed for a width of 
about 40 feet, and after it was l)urnino- well it was gi'adually pulled 
down the slope. 

Care was taken not to let the tire die down, by continuall}" placing on 
wood and l)rush. In moving the tire along the skids long poles with a 
fork at one end were used, and the tire was moved but a few feet at a 
time. This allowed a large amount of coal and ashes to collect upon 
the ground, which thoroughly burned the surface 3 or -i inches deep. 
Afterwards the coals were raked otf, leaving only a thick' layer of 
ashes, which was immediately dug- into the soil, and the bed raked to 
free the ground of all small roots. Cotton-seed meal was then applied 
broadcast at the rate of 800 pounds per acre, after whieh the bed was 
cross chopped to mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the soil and to cut 
all roots. It was then raked again to remove all roots and trash that 
had been brought to the surface 1)}" this last manipulation, leaving the 
soil in a smooth, well-pulverized condition. 

The land was laid otf into 3-foot beds, leaving a small walk way or 
water drain between each. These beds were built up above the level 
of the drains, so as to allow the water to pass otf without doing any 
damage in case of heavy rains. Pine poles were cut and laid across 
these })eds 3 feet apart, to act as a support for the cloth covering. 

The tirst seed was sown on January 28, using 1 tablespoonful of seed 
to 100 square yards of bed, 300 square yards being sown on this date. 
The soil was then thoroughly packed by treading in the seed, and the 
])ed covered with cloth to protect the young plants from cool nights 
and the ravages of insects. This cloth was !> feet wide and as long as 
the ))eds, so that it was easy to remove and replace it whenever the 
beds needed watering or w^eeding. 

The l)urning of the remainder of this seed bed was continued until 
700 square yards had been prepared, and the sowing of the seed pro- 
gressed until the last Aveek in February, the last 200 yards being sown 
on February 21*. This last sowing was not covered with cloth. 

The seed sown tirst did not germinate well, and the bed was resown 
on March 1. The weather conditions were unfavorable during 
February and the early part of March, being- unusuall}" cold and 
windy, whieh I'etarded the groAvth of the plants. During this period 
the beds were kept watered and weeded, and wlienexer necessary a 



EXPEEIMENTS DFEING 1904. 23 

mixture of Paris green and water was applied to free the plants from 
insects. 

The seed sown on this l)ed, with the exception of 100 square yards 
which was sown with Florida Cuban seed, was imported Cuban seed 
from the Vuelta Abajo district. A sufficient number of plants was 
grown on these beds to plant 25 or 30 acres. 

On account of the absence of running water in the vicinit}' of Gid- 
dings, in order to have a sufficient supply' of water it was necessary 
that the seed beds there should l)e located on uplands, near tanks or 
ponds. One of the beds was placed near the tobacco field, close to a 
small tank. This l)ed consisted of 125 square yards, and was situated 
in a pasture, which was covered with a growth of small post oak. The 
other l)ed was placed near another tank, alwut one-half mile south of 
the experimental tobacco Held. This l)ed was also covered with a 
growth of post oak. These beds were burned and prepared for seed 
in the same manner as the Nacogdoches bed, using cotton-seed meal as 
a fertilizer at the rate of 1,000 pounds per acre. Cold frames were 
made 9 feet wide and as long as the beds, using a 10 inch plank for 
these frames. The seed was sown in the Ijed tirst mentioned on 
February 14; while the other bed, consisting of 2S0 square j^ards, was 
sown on February 25 and 29. These beds were also covered with 
cloth. 

During March the weather conditions were very unfavorable, there 
being a succession of cold, dry winds, which made it necessary to 
water the beds every day. After the seed came up a large percentage 
of the young plants died, necessitating resowing, which was done on 
March 16. The conditions for growing plants were so unfavorable 
that we were unable to secure a sufficient number in time for planting, 
and therefore plants for one-half the area cultivated at this station 
were shipped from Nacogdoches. 

The seed bed at Crockett was also located upon uplands, the water 
supply being drawn from a well. The soil was clear of vegetation, 
having been cultivated the previous year in truck. The work here 
was l)egun the first week in February, and 380 square yards were pre- 
pared for burning. The bed was burned with limbs pruned from the 
trees of a near-by pear orchard, and the same methods were used for 
burning and preparing the soil for planting as were practiced at the 
other stations. Cold frames were used here, as at Giddings, and the 
bed was covered with cloth. The sowing of the seed was continued 
until February 20. 

These beds were kept watered, and a good stand of plants was 
secured. The cloth was taken ofi' on warm days and the l)eds weeded. 
The plants were also treated with Paris green once in every ten days, 
to prevent damage from insects. A sufficient number of plants were 
raised at Crockett to set 10 acres. 



24 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



PRKPARATION OF THE FIELDS. 



The first steps in fittino- the soil for the reception of the plants were 
taken in Nacogdoches County the latter part of Februarj', on the field 
situated 2 miles north of Nacogdoches, and hereafter known as the 
north field. This land had been planted in corn for several j^ears, 
and had alread}- been plowed into beds and the old cornstalks cut up 
and plowed under. Tw^enty loads of stable manure were applied to 
this field and plowed under with a 6-inch shovel plow, running the 
furrows at right angles to the first plowing, and stirring the soil to a 
depth of 8 inches, thus thoroughly incorporating the manure with the 
soil. The field was allowed to lie in this condition for several days, 
during which there occurred a good rain. After this all the corn- 
stalks were raked ott' the field and carted away. In the latter part of 
March one-half acre of this tield was laid oft' in 3-foot rows, and pre- 
pared for setting the plants, throwing the soil into beds with a turn 
plow turning four furrows to each row. Later on. about the 1st of 
April, two furrows were turned back into the water furrow, leaving 
a list 1 foot wide and above the level of space between the rows. This 
left the soil in good condition for transplanting. The remainder of 
this field was prepared in the same way, just before the time of trans- 
planting, in order to have a good loose bed for the plants. 

The li acres of Orangeburg clay comprising the east field, situated 
about 3 miles east of Nacogdoches, was prepared in the manner out- 
lined above, the land having previously been used as a cornfield. 
The li acres of the Orangeburg fine sandy loam at this place had been 
planted in cotton for two years, and had a very heavy growth of 
cotton stalks on it. Work here was begun the first week in March; 
the cotton stalks were pulled np and ))urned, and the field plowed 
crosswise in a direction transverse to the cotton rows, turning the soil 
to a depth of 8 inches. A shovel plow was used for this. This plow 
does not expose the subsoil to the surface, and as it cuts a narrow 
furrow slice (about 5 inches wide), it leaves the surface of the soil in 
a smooth, well-filled condition. As the soil in this field seemed to be 
remarkably rich, and as the preceding crop of cotton had made a 
heavy growth, it was at the time thought to be unnecessary to apply 
any fertilizer, although later in the season this was found to be a 
mistake. Both of these areas were allowed to lie in this condition 
until the first week in April, when the clay area was prepared for 
setting the plants, the same method being used as on the other areas. 
The soil of both these tields was in good condition for receiving the 
plants. The clay area, however, was near a strip of woods which 
caused much damage to the crop during a succeeding drought. 

The rreparation of land in the (Jiddings fields was begun in the 
latter part of March. The I'k acres on the Wilson farm, which had 



SETTING OUT THE PLANTS. 25 

been planted in cotton for several years, w?is prepared in the .same 
way as the Orangeburg fine sand}' loam of the east field at Nacogdoches. 
The growth of cotton stalks on this field was small. They were pidled 
up and burned, and the soil was then broken with a shovel plow. 
Thirteen loads of cow-pen manure were applied broadcast and plowed 
under, mixing the manure well with the soil. The field was allowed 
to lie in this condition for several days, when it was laid otf in 3-foot 
rows and prepared for planting as in the case of the fields above 
described. Five loads of the same kind of manure as that plowed 
under were put in the drill and covered, making a list on which to. set 
the plants. This final preparation of the land was kept up a few days 
ahead of the transplanting. 

The smaller area of 1^ acres in the Knox field was prepared soon 
after the one described above. This field had been used as a pasture, 
and the soil was a little heavier than in the other field. It was cov- 
ered with a large growth of wee'ds, which were broken down, raked 
into piles, and burned. The soil was prepared in the same manner as 
the larger area, 10 loads of cow-pen manure being used. Two-thirds 
of this was put on broadcast and one-third put in the drill. This field 
was also prepared for setting a few days ahead of the transplanting. 

The work at Crockett was begun about the middle of March. The 
seven-eighths of an acre of Orangeburg clay was an old field which 
had been used as a pasture for several years. The soil was thoroughly 
broken up with a ()-inch shovel plow, being plowed and cross plowed 
to get it in a fine, pulverulent condition. The field was then liedded 
for rows 3 feet apart, and 5(H) pounds of cotton-seed meal and 5tM) 
pounds of cotton-seed hulls were drilled in ])y hand in the water fur- 
row. A small shovel plow was used in the drill to mix the fertilizer 
with the soil. After this two furrows were turned back upon the 
fertilizer, making a list on which to set the plants. 

The other field at Crockett, consisting of 2 k acres of Orangeburg fine 
sandy loam, had been planted in cotton the year previous, and there was 
a very heavy growth of cotton stalks still standing. These were pulled 
up and burned, and the land prepared in the same manner as the 
smaller area. No fertilizer was used on this field before setting out 
the plants, but later in the season 1 ton of cotton-seed meal was 
applied. The two fields at Crockett were prepared for setting out the 
plants about the middle of April. 

SETTING OUT THE PLANTS. 

Transplanting was begun at the north field, Nacogdoches, on April 8, 
when one-fourth of an acre was set out. The plants were placed 10 
inches apart in the row, and just before setting the lists were leveled 
ofi' by means of a board attached to a plow, which left the soil in a 
loose, moist condition, so that the roots of the young plants would not 



2() EXPF.KIMENTS IN GRO\VlN(i CUKAN SEED TOBACCO. 

be iniurod ])y comino- in contact with or b}' being' s(>t in the dry sur- 
face soil. The setting of plants was continued in this field up to 
April 30, and a good stand was secured, necessitating very little 
resetting. One-half acre of this held was set with plants grown from 
Florida Cuban seed, while in the remainder of the field plants grown 
from imported Cul)an seed were used. 

In the case of the east field, Nacogdoches, transplanting was ])egun 
on Ai)ril 20, when one-half acre was set. The work of transplanting 
was continued every day in this field until completed. All of the 
playts were set b}" hand and watered, but owing to cool dry winds the 
stand was poor and was further reduced by cutworms and wireworms. 
This necessitated resetting, and_ the work was conuiienced on May 18, 
and eventually a good stand was ol)tained. On the Orangeburg tine 
sandy loam of the east field planting was not l)egun until May 9. 
About this time the climatic conditions were very favorable for this 
work, light warm showers falling every day. A very good stand of 
plants was ol)tained, and only a little replanting was done, from May 
20 to May 25. 

At Giddings, Lee County, the Wilson field was set on April 18, and 
the Knox field during the early part of May. Weather conditions 
were very fayoral)le in this localit}', there being a succession of light 
warm showers. Owing to the failure of a great part of the seed bed 
at this place, fully half of the plants were shipped from Nacogdoches. 
Very little damage was done l)y insects, and an excellent stand was 
obtained in l)oth these fields. 

At Crockett, Houston County, transplanting was commenced in the 
smaller field on April 19, and was completed on April 27. About one- 
half of the plants in this field were watered as set out, the remainder 
being set during a period of favoralile moisture conditions. A good 
stand was secured in l)oth instances. The largei' area was planted 
during a period of two weeks, extending from April 27 to May 9. 
The greater part of this field was set under favorable conditions, only 
a small percentage of the plants needing to be watered. A good stand 
was o])tained, but owing to the ravages of wireworms and damage 
caused by very heavy rains, almost all the plants were subsequently 
destroyed, and the field was replanted on May 20, when a good, healthy 
stand of plants was obtained. 

The plants in all the fields were set 10 inches apart in the rows, 
which in every case were laid off with 8-foot intervals. The total 
acreage of tobacco set at all stations was lOf acres. 

CULTIVATION AND I'HOTECTION AGAIN8T INSECTS. 

About ten days after the plants were set out they were given the 
first cultivation. The methods used were nearly the same at each sta- 
tion, and every field was cultivated thereafter once a week, whenever 



TOPPING, SUCKEKING, AND HARVESTING. 27 

the weather would })eriiiit. In the tir.st cultivations small wing sweeps 
were used to run around the young- plants, followed by a hand hoeing, 
except in the two fields at Nacogdoches, where a small-tooth cultivator 
was used. This was run between the rows, stirring the soil to a depth 
of '•I or 3 inches, breaking the crust that had formed upon the surface, 
and leaving the soil in a good condition for the sweep plow. In both 
cases, either where the small sweep plow or the cultivator was used, 
the middles were ])roken out with an 18-inch Aving sweep plow. 
Latcn", when the tobacco was about 2 feet high, 18-inch sweeps were used 
altogether, turning three furrows to each row of tobacco. This was 
done ev^ery week until the plants had all been topped. It was found 
necessary at times on the clay land to use a shovel plow to 1oos(mi up 
the soil, as this type has a tendency to ])ecome packed and hard after 
rains. Ever}^ field was kept clean of grass and weeds, and the last 
cultivation was gi\'en each field just after the phmts were topped, 
leaving the to])acco on a rounded bed with a water furrow between 
the rows deep enough to carry off the water after heavy rains. 

The to])acco on each field was watched closely and poisons applied 
whenever necessary to keep down insects of all kinds. Soon after 
setting the plants Paris green mixed with cornmeal was placed ai'ound 
each plant to protect it from the cutworms. Later in the season, as 
soon as the plants had begun to grow, a lighter mixture was used for 
the bud worms. This mixture was sprinkled in the bud of each plant 
once a week until the plants were topped. After the plants were 
a])out 12 inches high, a mixture of water and Paris green was applied 
with a knapsack spra^nng outfit." 

TOPPING, SUCKERING, AND HARVESTING. 

The flower bud appeared from seven to eight weeks after setting 
out the plants. The first topping was done at Nacogdoches, about 
June 5, exactly seven weeks after the first setting, and it was con- 
tinued at different intervals upon the various fields until all the plants 
were topped. The necessity of going over the fields so many times 
was due to the une\Tn stand, caused by replanting, resulting in 
plants of different ages in the same field. The plants were topped 
rather high, lea>'ing from 10 to 10 leaves on the plant, according to 
its individual character. 

After the plants were topped suckers appeared at the junction of 
each leaf, and these were broken off as soon as it was possible to do so 
without injury to the plant,^ The crops were suckered, on the average, 

«For information on tobacco insects and means of control, see Farmers' Bulletin 
No. 120, by L. O. Howard, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

''Suckers appear on all types of tobacco after being topped, as it is an effort on the 
part of the plant to reproduce itself, and unless removed the quality of the leaf for 
manufacturing purposes will deteriorate. 



28 EXPERIMENTS IN (IROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 

every .six days, and each field was gone over four or five times, a fre- 
quency due to the uneven toppings, the phints in the same row which 
did not require suckering one week, having been topped later, need- 
ing it the following week. 

Harvesting was commenced at the north field, Nacogdoches, on June 
20, when such plants as had reached the right stage of ripeness were 
cut and speared upon lath in the field, from 10 to 12 plants being placed 
on each lath. The laths were then placed upon racks built in the shady 
part of the field, and there the tobacco was allowed to hang until it 
wilted. As this field was situated 2 miles from the curing barn, it was 
necessary to haul the wilted tobacco on wagons with specially con- 
structed racks on which the tobacco could hang without being dam- 
aged by the jolting of the wagon. This field was cut over several 
times as the tobacco ripened, and the harvesting was not completed 
until July 15. 

The harvesting of the east field was commenced on Jul}' 1, and the 
same method was used as in the north field. This work was completed 
on Juh'^ 30. In this field the climatic conditions were unfavorable dur- 
ing the growing season. During Ma}" and June the tobacco suttered 
from drought, and in the latter part of July excessive rains did much 
damage. The tobacco planted on the cla}' had suflered more from 
drought than that planted o!i the fine sandy loam. Quite a large num- 
ber of the plants were stunted in growth and buttoned prematurely, 
and when the rains did occur these plants fired, making them of no 
conunercial value, and therefoi'e they were not harvested. 

Topping began at Giddings on the Wilson farm on June 1 and 
continued until June 25. This crop was topped and suckered in the 
same manner as the two crops at Nacogdoches. Harvesting was l)egun 
on June 16 and completed on July 9, the greater part of the crop 
being gathered in June. The early tobacco on this farm made good 
growth, with the exception of that in one end of the field which 
appeared to be too wet during the first part of the season, although 
later it made a fair growth. About the middle of June the weather 
conditions became unfavorable, there being a succession of hot south 
winds which bruised the leaves and caused the plants to fire or ripen 
prematurely, and it was therefore deemed advisable to harvest this 
tobacco before it had full}- matured. About one-fourth of an acre in 
this field was lost because of these unfavorable conditions. 

The tobacco in the Knox field was harvested during July, but was 
cut before it had fully ripened. This was done to prevent the loss of 
the crop by firing, as, owing to the hot dry weather, some spots of 
the field had already begun to be afiected in this way and were rapidly 
spreading. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE CURING BARNS. 29 

At Crockett topping was begun al)out June 5 and continued to June 
30. The same methods were used in topping and suckering as at the 
other stations. On the Orangeburg clay land harvesting was begun on 
June 20 and was completed on July 2, while on the Orangeburg fine 
sandy loam harvesting was not completed until a week later. The 
tobacco from the former field (seven-eighths acre) was hauled by teams 
to the curing barn, but that grown on the Orangeburg tine sandy loam 
was taken to the barn by hand, as the building was situated at one end 
of the field. The tobacco on the larger area made rather a slow growth, 
with the exception of about half an acre in the center of the field, the 
balance being good only in spots. About 1 acre of this Held never 
reached maturity. Fertilizer was applied as a top dressing on the 
poorer spots in the field, and the tobacco started to grow, but it 
soon began to tire and die out. The remainder of the field made good 
tobacco and was well matured when harvested. The tobacco planted 
on the clay land made a nmch more rapid and even growth, but after 
topping the weather conditions changed and the crop suffered from an 
overabundance of rain. After gathering the first crop from this field 
a sucker crop was started, but only a small percentage of the suckers 
were of any value. These were allowed to grow, and were cultivated 
in the same way as the first crop. The plants were topped low, leaving 
five or six good leaves to mature on each plant. 

MANAGEMENT OF THE CURING BARNS. 

After the tobacco had remained on the racks in the held long enough 
to allow it to be handled without damaging the leaf it was hung upon 
the tier poles to cure. To prevent a too rapid curing about 6 inches 
of space was left between the laths hung in the top of the barn, while 
in the lower tiers more space was given between the laths to allow a 
freer circulation of air and, in case of rainy weather, to prevent pole 
sweat, which would occur if the tobacco were hung too close together. 

At Crockett, Giddings, and the east field, Nacogdoches, all the 
ventilators were kept closed for the first few days to allow the leaf 
to undergo the first process of curing, which is indicated by a change 
from a green to a j^ellow color. At the north field, Nacogdoches, it 
was impossible to control the curing of the leaf, owing to the absence 
of suitable buildings for this work. The crops at this place were hung 
in a large cotton shed, which had previously been fitted up with tier 
poles; but owing to the favorable weather conditions, during the cur- 
ing season at this place the tobacco passed through the process of cur- 
ing in fine condition. If the weather had been damp and rainy at this 
time, it would have been impossible, owing to the openness of the 
building, to have controlled the moisture conditions, and much damage 
from pole sweat must have resulted. 



30 EXPERIMENTS IN (JKOWINd CUHAN SEED TOBACC^O. 

Duiiiio- the early part of the curing sea.son at Giddings the diniatic 
coiiditiont^ Avere unfavorable. The weather was hot and dry, with 
warm winds, and ther(^ Avas a tendency for the leaf to cure too fast. 
After tiie tobacco had ])een in the barn three weeks the weather changed 
and was damp and rainy throughout the remainder of the curing sea- 
son. This necessitated the ))uilding of small wood tires in the ))arn to 
cause a circulation of dry air and to prevent injury hy rot or pole 
sweat. 

At Crockett the curing season was favorable, tires being built for 
only a part of two da3^s, while at the east field, Nacogdoches, the 
weather continued wet throughout July, which made it necessary to 
keep tires in the l)arn the greater part of the month. 

As will be seen, no fixed rules for the manipulation of the barns 
were followed at any of the stations. In curing tobacco everything 
depends upon the condition of the weather and the character of the 
tobacco. However, in a general way, the following methods were 
observed: Whenever the weather was hot and dry, the barns were 
ke[)t closed during the day and opened at night. During the day the 
tobacco becomes dry, while at night, with the ventilators and doors 
open, the tobacco becomes soft and plialde. When the leaf was cured, 
with the exception of the stem or midril), the ventilators were kept 
open during the day, especiall}' on the shad}^ side of the ])arn. But 
in case there was a strong wind blowing the l)arns were closed to pre- 
vent the tobacco becoming wind whipped. Whenever there were fre- 
quent showers and ver}' little sunshine, the barns were closed and 
small wood tires were liglited in parts of the barn until the damp 
weather was over. These tires were continued in every case as long 
as it was necessary to keep the tobacco in proper condition. The 
wood used gave otf very little odor in the siuoke. It is very impor- 
tant to avoid giving the tobacco any foreign odor. 

The barn curing is complete when the midribs of the leaves have 
cured. The process of curing the leaf required from six to seven 
weeks. 

STEPPING AND TYING. 

During the first damp weather after the tobacco had been thor- 
oughly cured it was taken down. The night before the"l)arns were 
opened, to allow free circulation of moist air, to put the tobacco in 
good "kase" or "order;'' that is, in a soft and pliable condition like a 
kid glove. The tobacco was then stripped from the lath and the 
leaves picked off the stalks, making three grades — tops, middles, and 
sand or bottom leaves. This selection was made so that the tobacco 
could be better handled in the warehouse, as leaves from ditierent paVts 
of the plant, owing to their dift'erent'character, require separate treat- 
ment in tiie fermentiiiii' and assorting- houses. The leaves were then 



FERMENTATION. 31 

tied into hands, containing' from 40 to 50 leaves, and packed in boxes 
for deliver}' to the packing- house. This work was comnienccd on 
August 15, and was completed at all the farms b}^ September 10. 

FERMENTATION. 

To obtain the best results in bulk fermenting- tobacco the leaf 
should contain enough moisture to jnake the addition of water b}^ 
artiticial means unnecessar^^ When the tol)acco is of a Hims}' nature, 
as in the case of the sand or bottom leaves, it is necessary after the 
second turning of the bulk to add water in order to complete the 
fermentation of the leaf, as the moisture originally in tln^ leaf evapo- 
rates during- the process and the leaf l)ecomes dry. The moistening- 
is best accomplished ))y dipping the heads of the to])acco hands about 

4 inches into the water and then shaking them well, thus distributing 
the water through the leaf, after which the to])acco is laid lightlv in 
cases and allowed to remain for al)out twenty-four hours, by which 
time the moisture will have been taken up and the tobacco become 
uniformly soft. The tobacco should then be repacked in the bulk and 
allowed to ferment until thoroughly cured. 

To support the bulks a platform should ])e made, 5 feet wide and 
from 12 to 14 feet long, raised about 4 inches from the floor of the 
fermenting room. At the ends of this platform are placed headboards, 

5 feet wide and 7 feet high. Such a platform will hold from 5,000 to 
0,000 pounds of to])acco. After covering the platform and headboards 
with paper the })ulking is begun by laying the two outer rows, placing 
the butts of the hands even with the edges of the platform, and 
allowing the tips of the leaves to point to the center. Then another 
row is begun on each side, allowing the heads to rest two thirds of the 
length of the leaf from the butts of the first row, keeping the tips 
pointing to the center. A third row is made on each side in the same 
manner. This will make six rows across the width of the platform, or 
suflicient to cover the floor. The second tier is laid in the same manner, 
and this process is continued until the bulk has reached a height of G 
.or 7 feet, or until 5,000 pounds of tobacco have been bulked. When 
the bulk is completed, the top is covered with ordinary cotton blankets 
or burlap, and over these rul)ber blankets are placed. The tobacco is 
allowed to remain in bulk from ten to twelve days, the actual time 
being governed by the character of the leaf and condition of the 
tobacco, which latter is indicated l)ya thermometer j^laced in the bulk. 

Ordinarily the temperature of a ])ulk increases from 1 " to 3^^ C. 
every twenty-four hours, and this is allowed to continue until 45° C. is 
reached, when the to))acco is taken down, well shaken, and i'el)ulked, 
building the new bulk as the old one is taken down. This Di'ocess is 
repeated until the active fermentation of the leaf ceases. 



32 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 

To rebulk tobacco the handler should proceed as follows: Take off 
the first two layers from the bulk and place them in cases. Then 
take the tobacco from the old bulk and lay the foundation of the new 
one until the old bulk is half removed. Place the two layers that 
were set aside in the new bulk, and refill the cases with two more 
layers of the old bulk, and set these aside until the remainder of the 
old bulk has been packed on the new. Then place the two tiers of 
hands on the new bulk and cover it with blankets to keep the top of 
the bulk from drying- out. In this way what was the inside of the old 
bulk has become the outside of the new, and what was the outside of 
the old bulk has become the inside of the new bulk. In this way 
ever}^ part of the bulk will receive the same amount of fermentation. 

The bulk method, as above described, was used in fermenting the 
tobaccos o-rown in the 1904 experiments, the tirst bulk being built 
September 9. It contained the sand leaves and the middle leaves of 
the crops grown at Nacogdoches, Giddings, and Crockett — in all about 
5,000 pounds of tobacco. The temperature of the ])ulk increased from 
2^ to 3'-' C. every twenty-four hours until September 12, when it 
reached 44° C. From that date it fell gradually until September 19, 
when the bulk was taken down, each hand thoroughly shaken out, and 
the tobacco rebulked. Owing to the size of the bulk two thermom- 
eters were used, one being placed in the sand leaves and one in the mid- 
dle leaves, so that it could be determined how the fermentation of each 
class of tobacco was progressing. On September 21 the new bulk had 
reached a temperature of 35° Q., which continued to rise until Sep- 
tember 28, from which date until Octo))er 3 it fell until it registered 
40° C. On October 3 and 4 the bulk was taken down for the second 
time and rebulked. At this time the second or sucker crop, grown at 
Crockett, was added to the ))ulk. On October 13 the temperature had 
only reached 40 C, and remained at about that point until October 
18, when it fell 1 degree. This indicated that a certain amount of 
moisture had evaporated from the tobacco, and that the fermentation 
was progressing satisfactorily. 

From October 18 to October 22 the bulk was again taken down and 
rebulked. The sand leaves of all the crops had l)y this time ])ecome dry, 
although the color of the leaves had not undergone much change. It 
was therefore thought advisable to dip the tobacco in water so the leaf 
could heat up quickly and a change in the color be brought a))out. As 
a result of this operation the temperature of the bulk increased more 
rapidly, and on November 1 it had reached 50° C. It continued at this 
temperature for five days, or until November 0, when the temperature 
rose 1 degree. It declined to 50 C. again on the succeeding day and 
remained stationary until November 9, when it gradualh' fell to 44^ C, 
reachinsr that figure on November 12. The tobacco had bv this time 



FEKMENTATION. 



33 



taken on a finished appearance, and the raw odor which was noticeable 
when the bulk was first turned had entirely disappeared, the to))acco at 
this time having a sweet, aromatic smell, wliich indicated that the proc- 
ess of fermentation was nearly completed. 

On Nov^ember 15 the bulk was turned for the last time. All the 
tobacco was sprayed lightly, and on November 28 the temperature had 
risen to 43° C, remaining stationary until November 29, when it fell 
gradually until December 5, on which date the thermometer registered 
40° C. On this date the middle leaves on the north-field and east- 
field crops were taken out of the bulk to be graded, as this tobacco had 
become thoroughly fermented. 

The following table gives the temperature of the bulk during fer- 
mentation. In the early part of the process two thermometers were 
used, but after October 21 another was inserted in the bulk. These 
thermometers are designated in the table as "^4," "^, '' and "C'. ". 

Temperature of bulks during fennentatio)i . 



Date. 


A. 


B. 


Date. 


A. 


B. 


Date. 


A. 


B. 


Date. 


A. 


B. 




°C. 




C. 




°C. 


°C. 






°C. 


°C. 




°C. 


°C. 


Sept. 8.. 


39 




35 


Sept. 19a. 


40 


42 


Sept. 30.. 


41 


40 


Oct. 11.. 


39 


40 


9.. 


42 




38 


20.. 


35 


35 


Oct. 1.. 


41 


40 


12.. 


39 


41 


10.. 


43 




40 


21.. 


35 


35 




2.. 


40 


39 


13.. 


40 


41 


11.. 


44 




41 


22.. 


36 


37 




3a. 


40 


39 


14.. 


40 


41 


12.. 


44 




42 


23.. 


38 


38 




4.. 


32 


35 


15.. 


40 


40 


13.. 


43 




42 


24.. 


40 


39 




5.. 


32 


35 


16.. 


40 


40 


14.. 


42 




43 


25.. 


41 


40 




6.. 


33 


37 


17.. 


40 


40 


15.. 


42 




43 


26.. 


42 


40 




7.. 


35 


38 


18a. 


39 


39 


16.. 
17.. 

18.. 


41 
40 
40 




42 
42 

42 


27.. 
28.. 
29.. 


44 
44 

42 


41 
42 
41 




8.. 
9.. 
10.. 


36 
37 
38 


39 
39 
40 


19a. 
20a. 
21ft. 


















Date. 


A. 


B. 


C. 


Date. 


A. 


B. 


C. 


Date. 


A. 


B. 


c: 




°C. 


°C. 


°c. 








°C. 


°C. 


°C. 




°C. 


°C. 


°c. 


Oct. 22 


38 


35 


35 


N 


IV. 6. 




51 


43 


41 


Nov. 21 


34 


34 


44 


23 


40 


35 


35 




7. 




50 


44 


41 


22 


38 


37 


44 


24 


44 


36 


35 




8. 




50 


43 


41 


23 


40 


38 


45 


25 


48 
49 


36 

38 


36 
36 




9. 
10 




50 

48 


43 

42 


40 
41 


24 

25 


42 
44 


39 
40 


45 
45 


26 


27 


46 


40 


36 




11 




46 


41 


41 


26 


44 


41 


45 


28 


45 


41 


37 




12 


I ... 


44 


40 


41 


27 


43 


41 


45 


29 

30 

31 


45 
44 
44 


41 
38 
38 


38 
38 
38 




13 
14 
15. 










28 

29 

30 


43 
43 
42 


41 
41 
41 


45 
44 
43 












28 


28 


30 


Nov. 1 


50 


39 


39 




,16 




28 


28 


30 


Dec. 1 


42 


40 


42 


2 


50 


41 


40 




17 




28 


28 


32 


2 


42 


40 


42 


3 


50 


41 


40 




18 




29 


29 


36 


3 


41 


40 


42 


4 


50 


41 


40 




19 




30 


30 


40 


4 


41 


40 


42 


5 


50 


42 


40 




20 




31 


32 


43 


5 


40 


40 


41. 



«Bulk turned. 



('Third thermometer put in bulk. 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CrBAN SEEB TOBACCO. 



GRADINf; AND HALING. 



After it had l)oen thorouo-hly ferinentod the tobacco was assorted 
into three grades, namely, heav^}', llinisy, and ])roken tiller. The lirst 
two grades represented perfect leaves, the only ditference in the leaves 
])eiiio- that those classed as heaxy tiller contained more l)ody tlian those 
placed in the flimsy grade. The broken tiller consisted of imperfect 
leaves from both the lieavy and light leaves, which because of this 
condition would not connnand as high a price as the other two grades. 

These grades were again divided, according to length of leaf, as fol- 
lows: The first grade contained all leaves 16 inches long, the second 
l-i inches, and the third 12 inches. In this classification the 14 and 1(5 
inch lengths represent the most desirable leaf. After the tol)acc() had 
been graded and sized it was tied into hands containing from 40 to 50 
leaves, according to the length of the leaf. Four of these hands were 
tied together into carrots; that is, four hands of equal length were tied 
together, the heads being even, and the to])acco wrapped from head to 
tip with Cuban l)ast. Each of these carrots weighed from 1 to li 
pounds, according to the size of tlie leaf, texture, etc. As soon as a 
sufficient number of carrots were made they were packed So in a bale 
made of yajuas ])ark. this being the trade package for all southern- 
grown filler to])acco. 

. The bales of tobacco were stacked in piles 5 bales high and kept in 
a warm room to allow the leaf to imdergo the process of aging. Each 
week the position of tlie bales was reversed until the tobacco had 
))ecome well aged. 

COST OF PRODUCTION. 

The cost of production of the several crops grown in the 1904 
experiments varied from 19.3 cents per pound in the case of the north 
field, Nacogdoches, to 20.4 cents in the case of the east field. The 
Giddings crop was produced at a cost of 19.7 cents, and the Crockett 
crop at 21.3 cents. The higher figure for the east field is due in part 
to a lower rate of .yield, but an extraordinar}^ expense of $54.15 for 
rent of curing l)arn is the chief cause of the greater cost of produc- 
tion ill this instance. Eliminating this item would reduce the cost 
pel- pound to 24.4 cents, or about 3 cents per pound more than the 
average cost for all the crops. The rent of barns in the case of the 
other fields was included in the rent of the land. 

Owing to local difi'erences in the climatic conditions, as well as to 
■ the difi'erent types and state of productiveness of the soils, there was 
(juite ii wide range in the rates of yield in the several fields. The 
heaviest yield, 749 pounds, was obtained from the north field at 
Nacogdoches, from the Orangeburg fine sandy loam, which had been 
maintained in good condition chiring earlier cultivation, and had 
received an application of stal)U^ manure for several years j)ast, dui'ing 



COST OF PKODUCTION. 35 

which it liiid boon phintcd in corn. Tlic lowest r;ito of yield, 51S 
pounds, WHS obtained from the Giddin4>-s field. Part of this field, as 
already stated, had been used for cotton, and from the appearance of 
the stalks was not in a very productive condition. 

The total production from the 8f acres harvested was 5,401 pounds, 
or an averag"e yield per acre of 624:.! pounds. The total cost of pro- 
duction was $1,180.78, or 21.6 cents per pound. 

There is no doubt whatever that the farmer can oi-ow this tol)acco 
at a much lower cost than in these experimental crops, in which all the 
labor and teams were hired at very liberal prices, a cash rental paid for 
the land and barns, and much experimental work pei'formed by the 
Bureau's own force, which is char^-ed at the uniform rate of 10 cents 
per hour, and materially increases the cost of production as g'iv^en in 
the following- tables. It is believed that the farmer having- all the 
facilities on his plantation can grow this tobacco at a cost not exceed- 
ing 10 cents a pound. In fact, an estimate based upon the foregoing- 
statement of expenditures and other data gathered during the progress 
of this work in Texas indicates that the tobacco can be produced, 
under normal conditions, and with a minimimi yield of 600 pounds, 
for less than lO cents a pound. 

The. following statements give a detailed account of the actual 
expenses incurred by the Department in the production of Cuban seed 
tiller leaf tobacco on each of the four experimental fields: 

NacogdocJies — Nurth field. 
Seed 

La})or, 150 hours, at 10 cents an hour .f] 5. 00 

Team hire, 35 hours, at 10 cents an hour 3. 50 

Fertihzer, 1 sack cotton-seed meal, at |1 . 25 1 . 25 

Tools — axes, wedges, rakes (cost $4), good for two years 2. 00 

Tools — weeding hoes, buckets, watering cans ($2.10), good for two years. 1. 05 

Tools — hatchets, wire, nails ($1.30) , good for two years ^ 65 

23. 45 

Preparing land: 

Fer+ilizer, 18 loads stable manure, at $1 a load IS. 00 

Teams, 65 hours, at 10 cents an hour 6. 50 

Labor, 85 hours, at 10 cents an hour S. 50 

33.00 

Transplanting: 

Labor, 130 hours, at 10 cents an hour 13. 00 

Team hire, 110 hours, at 10 cents an hour 11. 00 

Tools — buckets, baskets, dippers, barrels ($2.20), good for two years 1. 10 

25. 10 



« In the recapitulation only one-half the cost of this seed bed is charged against 
this field, the remainder forming an item in the expenditures for the east field. 



36 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



Field culture: 

Labor, 2H0 hours, at 10 cents an hour $26. 00 

Team hire, 140 hours, at 10 cents an hour 14. 00 

Tools — ^plow stock, sweeps, shovels ($2.40), good for three years 80 

Paris green 5. 00 

Corn meal (used with Paris green) 3. 85 

49.65 

Suckering and harvesting: 

Labor, 500 hours, at 10 cents an hour 50. 00 

Team hire, 85 hours, at 10 cents an hour 8. 50 

Tools — tobacco knives, spears ($2), good for two years 1. 00 

2,000 tobacco sticks ($6) , good for three years 2. 00 

61.50 

Curing and stripjiing: 

Half cord pine wood, at $3 a cord 1. 50 

Labor, 330 hours, at 10 cents an hour 33. 00 

Team hire, 6 hours, at 25 cents an hour 1.50 

56.00 

Other expenses: 

Rent of If acres of land 7. 00 

Lumber for barns ( $26.46) , good for four years 6. 61 

Nails, hinges, tacks, etc 2. 50 

16. 11 

Recapitulation of expenditures at north field. 



Item. 



Total 
cost. 



Cost per 
pound on 

1,311 
pounds. 



Raising plants 

Preparing land 

Transplanting 

Field culture 

Suckering and harvesting 

Curing and stripping 

Other expenses 

Total 



Dollars. 
11.72 
33.00 
25.10 
49. 65 
61.50 
56.00 
16.11 



253. 08 



Cents. 
0.8 
2.6 
1.9 
3.8 
4.7 
4.3 
1.2 



19.3 



COST OF PRODUCTION. 



37 



Nacogdoches — East field. 
Seed bed: 

One-half cost of Nacogdoches seed bed $11. 73 



Preparing land: 

Fertilizer, 16 loads stable manure, at $1 a load IH. 00 

Team hire, 85 hours, at 10 cents an hour H. 50 

Labor, 135 hours, at 10 cents an hour '. 13. 50 



38.00 

20.00 

21.00 

«. 50 

1.67 

4i>. 1 7 

49. 50 

10. 50 

8.20 

68.20 

Suckering and harvesting: 

Labor, 565 hours, at 10 cents an hour 56. 50 

Tools — tobacco knives, spears ( $2 ) , gooil for two years 1. 00 

Team hire, 92^ hours, at 10 cents an hour 9. 25 

2,000 tobacco sticks ($6), good for three years 2.00 

68. 75 



Transplanting: 

Labor, 200 hours, at 10 cents an hour 

Team hire, hauling, 70 hours, at 30 cents an hour 

Team hire, plow teams, 65 hours, at 10 cents an hour 

Tools — buckets, baskets, dippers, plowers ($3.35) — go(jd for two years. 



Field culture: 

Lal)or, 495 hours, at 10 cents an hour 

Team hire, 105 hours, at 10 cents an hour, 
Paris green and corn meal 



Curing and stripping: 

Labor, 272j hours, at 10 cents an hour 27. 25 

Team hire, 45 hours, at 10 t;ents an hour 4. 50 

31.75 



Other expenses: 

Rent of 3 acres of land 18. 00 

Rent of barn, two months and five days, at $25 a month 54. 15 

Lumber to prepare barn ($7 ) , good for two years 3. 50 

Nails and hinges 50 

76. 15 

Recapitidatmt of c.rj)e)iditureK at east field. 



Seed bed 

Preparing land 

Transplanting 

Field culture 

Suckering and harvesting- . 

Curing and stripping 

Other expenses 

Total 



Total 
cost. 


Cost per 
pound on 

1,300 
pounds. 


Dollars. 


Cents. 


11.73 


0.9 


38.00 


2.9 


49.17 


3.8 


68. 20 


5.3 


68. 75 


5.3 


31. 75 


2.4 


76. 15 


5.8 


843. 75 


26. 4 



38 



EXPERIMENTS IN C4 ROWING C'UHAN SEED TOBACCO. 



• ' Giddinys Jidd. 

Seed bed: 

Labor, 72^ hours, at 10 cents an liour $7. 25 

Team hire, 10 hours, at 10 cents an hour 1. 00 

Tools — axes, hoes, rakes, buckets, cloth ($24.25) .ijood foi' three years... 8.08 

Tools — l)arrels, pipe fixtures 2. 20 

Fertilizer, 100 i)ounds cotton-seed meal 1 . 25 

19. 78 



Preparing land: 

Fertilizer, 33 loads manure, at $1 a load 33. 00 

Team hire, 85 hours, at 10 cents an hour 8. 50 

Labor, 1522 hours, at 10 cents an holir 15. 25 

Tools— plows, sweeps, shovels, hoes (18.25) good for three years 2. 75 

58. 50 



Transplanting: 

I^abor, 240 hours, at 1 cents an hour > 24. 00 

Team hire, hauling, 40 hours, at 20 cents an hour 8. 00 

Tools— barrels, baskets, buckets ($1.50) good for two years 75 

Express on plants 4. 60 

37. 35 



Cultivation: 

Labor, 380 hours, at 10 cents an hour 38. 00 

Team hire, 70 hours, at 10 cents at hour 7. 00 

Tools — sweeps ($0.80) good for two years 40 

One knapsack spray pump ($3) good for three years 1. 00 

Paris green and corn meal 4. 00 

50. 40 



Sucker ing and harvesting: 

Labor, 540 hours, at 10 cents an hour 1 54. 00 

Team hire, hauling, 80 hours, at 25 cents an hour 20. 00 

Tools — tobacco knife, 2' spears ($1.50) good for two years 75 

4,000 tobacco sticks ($18) good for three years. H. 00 

80.75 



Curing and stripping: 

Labor, 315 hours, at 10 cents an hour 31. 50 

Team hire, 10 hours, at 10 cents an hour 1 . 00 

Tobacco boxes ($2.75) good for three years 92 

33. 42 

RecKpitidation of cxpendlturi s at Giddings. 



Seed bed 

Propariiislaiid 

Transplanting 

Cnltivation 

Suckering and harvesting . 
Curing and stripping 

Total 



Total 
cost. 


Cost per 
pound 
on 1,425 
pounds. 


Dollars. 


Cents. 


19.78 


1.4 


58. 50 


4.1 


37.35 


•2.6 


50.40 


3.5 


80. 75 


5.7 


33. 42 


2.6 



COST OF PRODUCTION. 



39 



Crockett afield. 
Seed bed: 

Tools — cloth, rakes, hatchet ($23. 18), good for three years $7. 73 

Fei'tilizer, 100 pounds cotton seed meal 1 . 25 

Labor, 80 hours, at 10 cents an hour s. 00 

16. 98 

Preparing land: 

Fertilizer, one-fourth ton cotton-seed meal and one-fourth ton hulls 6. 50 

Labor, II75 hours, at 10 cents an hour 11. 75 

Team hire, 95 hours, at 10 cents an hour 9. 50 

27. 75 

Transplanting: 

Labor, 380 hours, at 10 cents an hour 38. 00 

Team hire, 115 hours, at 10 cents an hour 1 1 . 50 

Tools — plows, hoes, barrels, buckets ($2.85), good for two years 1.42 

50. 92 

Cultivation: 

Labor, 375 hours, at 10 cents an hour 37. 50 

Team hire, 115 hours, at 10 cents an hour 11. 50 

Tools — plows, hoes ($2.85), good for two years 1. 42 

Fertilizer, 1 ton cotton-seed meal 34. 40 

Paris green and corn meal 4. 00 

88. 82 

Sucker ing and harvesting: 

Labor, 530 hours, at 10 cents an hour 53. 00 

Team hire, 30 hours, at 25 cents an hour 7. 50 

Tools — tobacco knife, spears ($2) good for two years 1 . 00 

61.50 

Curing and stripping: 

Labor, 467^ hours, at 10 cents an hour 46. 75 

Team hire, hauling, 20 hours, at 20 cents an hour 4. 00 

Tobacco boxes ($3.60) good for three years 1. 20 

5,000 tobacco sticks ($17.50) good for three years 5. 83 

57.78 
Recapitulation of expenditures at Crockett. 




Co.st per 
pound 
on 1,42.5 
pounds. 



Seed bed 

Preparing land 

Transplanting 

Cultivation 

Suckering and harvesting 
Curing and .stripping 

Total 



Dollars. 
16.98 
27. 75 
50.92 

88. 82 
61.50 

57.78 



304. 75 



Cents. 



1.2 
2.0 
3.6 
6.2 
4.3 
4.1 



40 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 



General summary, shoivlng areas planted and harvested, yields, and cost of production. 



Field. 



North field 
East field.. 
Gidding.s.. 
Crockett . . 

Total 



Area Area har- 
planted. vested. 



Total pro- 
duction. 



Acres. 
1.7.5 
3.00 
3.00 
3.00 



10.75 



Acres. Pounds. 

1.75 1,311 

2.25 1,300 

2.75 ' 1,425 

2.00 1 1,'I25 



8.75 



5,461 



Total Average 



Dollars. 
253. 08 
343. 75 
279. 20 
304. 75 



Pounds. 
749.0 
•577. 
518. 
712.0 



Cost per 
pound. a 



Cents. 
19.3 
26.4 
19.7 
21.3 



1, 180. 78 



624. 1 



21.6 



« The cost of production per pound given in the above table is for the barn-cured product and not 
for the fermented leaf. An additional cost of about 6 cents a pound must be added to give the cost 
of the finished leaf. As the fermentation of tobacco is a separate business from that of growing and 
not generally practiced by the farmer, this Bulletin has not gone into the details of the cost of this 
part of the work. 



Estimated co-'^t of groimng a commercial crop of 10 acres of Cahan seed filler upon a icell- 

equipped farm. 

Permanent investment: 

10 acres of land, at $10 an acre $100. 00 

500 yards seed-bed cloth, at 3 cents a yard 15. 00 

Tools — plows, hoes, spray can, etc 23. 75 

Tobacco sticks, 18,000, at $3.50 per M 63. 00 

20 boxes, at 25 cents a box 5. 00 

Barn, 40 by 100 feet 600. 00 

806. 75 



Operating expenses: 
Seed bed — 

10 ounces tobacco seed, at 50 cents an ounce $5. 00 

Labor, 30 days, at 75 cents a day 22. 50 

Preparing land — 

100 loads manure," at 25 cents a load 25. 00 

Mauling manure, at 50 cents a load 50. 00 

Team hire, 20 days, at 50 cents a day 10. 00 

Labor, 25 days, at 75 cents a day 18. 75 

Transplanting — 

Labor, 30 days, at 75 cents a day 22. 50 

Team hire, at 50 cents a day 1. 00 

Cultivation — 

Labor, 100 days, at 75 cents a day 75. 00 

Team hire, 25 days, at 50 cents a day 12. 50 



27. 50 



103. 75 



23. 50 



87.50 



« Although the Bureau used stable manure in these experiments wherever it was 
possible, it is l)elieved that a larger yield of tobacco can be oV>tained by the use of 
1,200 pounds of cotton-seed meal and 200 pounds of high-grade sulphate of potash, 
which will give about 73 pounds of nitrogen, 20 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 98 
pounds of potash to the acre. On the basis of a yield of 600 pounds of tobacco to the 
acre, which is lower than the average yield obtained by these experiments, the cost 
of the production by using this fertilizer would be IO5 cents per pound. 



RESULTS OF SALE OF 1903 CROP. 41 

C )] )erati ng ex pen ses — Con ti nue< 1 . 
Poisoning — 

30 pounds Paris green, at 20 cents a pound $6. 00 

5 bushels corn meal, at 60 cents a bushel 3. 00 

Labor, 14 days, at 75 cents a day 10. 50 

119.50 

Ilaryesting — 

Labor, 60 days, at 75 cents a day 45. 00 

Hauling, 10 days, at $1. 50 a day 15. 00 

60.00 

stripping and tying^ — 

Labor, 100 days, at 75 cents a day 75. 00 

Deterioration in tools, sticks, and cloth during year 15. 00 

Interest on investment, at 10 per cent 80. 67 

Total operating expenses 492. 42 

Value of 6,000 pounds of leaf tobacco, at 15 cents a pound 900. 00 

Ol)erating expenses 492. 42 

Profit over operating expenses 407. 58 

Per cent of protit on pennanent investment ($806. 75 ) 50. 5 

RESULTS OF THE SALE OF THE 1903 CROP. 

In order to ascertain the opinion of the trade as to the qualities and 
commercial value of the tobacco grown in Texas, and to determine the 
possibilities of establishing its production upon a commercial scale, 
the Bureau deemed it advisable to place the crop of 1903 upon the 
market,. Arrangements were made with Mr. Herman G. Vetterlein, of 
Philadelphia, to undertake the sale of this tobacco. In the fall of 1904 
the Department issued a catalogue .showing the number of bales of the 
various grades of tobacco in its possession, and these catalogues, with 
samples of the leaf, Avere widely distributed. The Department had 
no interest in the proceeds of the sale, all money received less the 
broker's commission of |1 per bale being turned over to the owners 
of the tobacco at Nacogdoches, Lufkin, and Woodville. 

The first tobacco taken was a part of the crop grown at Woodville, 
Tex., 5 bales of heavy filler of this crop being sold at 10 cents per 
pound to a firm of manufacturers, who requested that 15 bales addi- 
tional should be reserved for their use. Sales of single bales continued 
throughout the fall and winter of 1904, and by the middle of January, 
1905, all the tobacco had been disposed of. 

Judging from the letters received by the Department from various 
firms purchasing the tobacco, it seems to have given satisfaction, 
although some complain that it is not as aromatic nor as smooth as the 
Cuban leaf. In nearly every case the manufacturers agree that the 
leaf is the best domestic filler they have ever tested, and predict a 
future for it if produced at reasonable prices. There was one excep- 
tion to this opinion, in the case of a firm who did not think the quality 
of the leaf as good as the tobacco now being grown in Pennsylvania. 



42 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 

In the Nt\w York Tobacco Leaf, of November 30, 1904, the follow- 
ing statement appeared from the firm of S. R. Moss & Co., who are 
large cigar manufacturers in Lancaster, Pa. : 

S. E. Moss &. Co., manufacturers, recently received samples of Havana seed 
tobacco from the Government experiment stations in Texas, with the request that 
they be made up into cigars and their quality tested. "William Levy, superintendent 
of the factory, one of Lancaster's leading authorities on tobacco, made the samples 
up into cigars, and all who have tested them speak in terms of praise of the article. 
Mr. Levy has no hesitancy in declaring that tobacco like these samples would take 
rank in the trade for fillers. 

The following letters have been received from Hettermann Bros. 
Co., Louisville, Ky. ; L. P. De Mouche, manager of the Nacogdoches 
Cigar Company; and Otto Eisenlohi' & Bros., of Philadelphia, Pa. 
The report of Mr. H. G. Vetterlein on the sale of the leaf is also given: 

Louisville, Ky., March 5, 1905. 

De.\r Sir: In receipt of yours of the 1st. Yes; we had several samples from Mr. 
Yetterlein of the tobacco grown in Texas, and we find it good tobacco; and the con- 
tinual experimenting, we should think, would convince the farmers that they grow 
good tobacco, and would also convince the manufacturer that the tobacco grown in 
that State is of very good quality and will make a very satisfactory cigar. 

If there is any other particular (juestion you would like to have answered, com- 
mand us. 

Very truly yours, Hettermanx Bros. Co. 

Mr. MiLTOx Whitney, Washington, B. C. 



Nacogdoches, Tex., March 6, 1905. 
Dear Sir: Your letter received and contents fully noted. I have thoroughly 
tested the Nacogdoches tobacco, and the more I find out about the goods the better 
I like it. I have been working hard experimenting, and as you know I have worked 
in all the tobacco grown in the United States and, notwithstanding that this country 
is in its infancy, I predict that with experienced men for curing the tobacco, we will 
beat Havana within five years. 

Yours, truly, Louis P. De Mouche, 

General Manager Nacogdoches Cigar Company. 
Milton Whitney, 

Chief of Bureau, Washington, D. C. 



Philadelphia, Pa., March 2, 1905. 
Dear Sir: Your communication of the 1st instant at hand and contents carefully 
noted. 

In replj' to same, would say that we have given the tobacco of which you speak a 
thorough test. We find, however, that the quality is not good enough to use as 
a su])stitute for Havana tobacco, in fact it is hardly equal to the filler tobaccos 
which are grown in the better sections of Pennsylvania. 

W^e have only worked a small portion of the bale. The remainder we still have in 
stock and will eventually work it with the other seed fillers. 
Trusting that this information will be of service to you, we are. 
Yours, very truly. 

Otto Eisenlohr »& Bros. 
Mr. Milton Whitney, 

United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



KESULTS OF SALE OF 1903 CROP. 43 

Philadelphia, Pa., February ^'S, 1905. 

Dear Sir: The tobacco raised in Texas under the supervision of the Bureau of 
Soils, being now sold, I would herewith report that while there was a very complete 
and thorough distribution of the catalogues calling attention of the manufacturers of 
cigars and dealers in leaf tobacco to the experiments made in the above-mentioned 
State, the demand for samples to test the merits of this tobacco was not as great as 
one would expect, and this can readily be accounted for by the fact that the manu- 
facturers of cigars are loath to take up anything new or different to what thej^ have 
been using, for fear of injuring their established brands of cigars, the results of years 
of work and expense. 

However, various bales and samples have been sufficiently distributed to warrant 
the statement that the Department has succeeded in raising a superior piece of filler 
tobacco, part of it being smooth and mellow in taste and flavor, and part of it being 
with a trifle more body, but both being very suitable for mixing with Habana or 
even using it entirely clear, and with the continuance of the care in raising and hand- 
ling of it, and with the natural improvement that one would expect in its continual 
production, in the end it should find a position in the market where its merits should 
create a satisfactory demand. 

To secure this desirable result it will be necessary for the growers to be satisfied 
with small profits in the 1)eginning, and prices should be made accordingly, so as to 
invite jmrchasers. 

Inclosed you will find a statement of how the tobaccos raised by your Deiiartment 
have been sold, and with kind regards, I remain. 
Yours, truly, 

Herman (t. Vetteklein. 

Prof. Milton Whitney, Washington, D. C. 



Statement of tobacco grown in Texas under the supervision of the Bureau of Soils, and sold 

by Herman G. Vetterlein. 

Nacogdoches Tobacco Company, Nacogdoches, Tex. : 
Berger crop — 

■ 11 bales, 858 pounds net, at 28 cents $240. 24 

Commission, at $1 per bale 11. 00 

$229.24 

Radcliff crop — 

13 bales, 1 , 206 pounds net, at 30 cents 361 . 80 

Commission, at $1 per bale 13. 00 

348. 80 

Roberts & Reed, Woodville, Tex.: 

Roberts & Reed crop — 

1 bale, 62 pounds net, at 30 cents 18. 60 

5 bales, 463 pounds net, at 40 cents 185. 20 

203. 80 
Commission, at $1 per bale 6. 00 

197. 80 

Bale No. 3, 1 14 pounds net, retained by Department. 

J. F. Davis, Lufkin, Tex. : 

Davis crop — 

1 bale, 72 pounds net, at 40 cents 28. 80 

4 bales, 339 pounds net, at 30 cents 94. 92 

123. 72 
Commission, at $1 per bale 5. 00 

118.72 

Total 894. 56 



44 EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING CUBAN HEED TOBACCO. 

It will be noticed tliat the prices received for this tobacco range 
from 28 to 40 cents a pound. These prices are for the finished prod- 
uct, and cover not only the original cost of growing the tobacco, and 
the expense of fermenting, sorting, and packing, but also the shrink- 
age in weight and other losses incident to these operations. 

The Department does not deem it advisable for the farmer to attempt 
the fermentation and packing of his tobacco. It believes that it will 
be much better for him to sell his crop at 15 cents a pound in the 
bundle, direct from the curing barn, to the leaf dealer or warehouse- 
man, than to incur the extra expenses and stand the risk of loss of the 
crop through lack of experience in fermenting the tobacco. 

The Department, having demonstrated by the investigation set 
forth in this report that a good domestic filler tobacco can l^e grown 
on the Orangeburg soils in east Texas, issued in Januar^^ 1905, a cir- 
cular giving a brief outline of the w^ork and showing the opportunities 
for the production of a cigar leaf tobacco in east Texas; and this sea- 
son (1905) about 150 acres are being grown on the Orangeburg soils in 
Nacogdoches, Anderson, and Houston counties by the farmers. A firm 
having large interests in the tobacco business in Chicago, 111., and 
Gadsden County, Fla., has agreed to purchase from the growers at a 
remunerative price all the tobacco produced, as soon as it shall have 
been barn cured. It therefore appears that in the course of a few vears, 
if the industry be conducted on a conservative basis, the growing and 
packing of tobacco can become an important industry of east Texas. 



O 



B Je '07 



